07/01/2025
The photo captures a perfect November morning. A newly married couple, madly in love and anxious to start their life together, step outside of St. Anthony’s Church in nearby Columbus Grove, Ohio. The beautiful bride reaches out as the wind catches her veil. The dapper groom flashes his dimples as he holds the marriage certificate. Guests -and a celebration, await.
Less than 24 hours earlier, President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.
Rural life in Putnam County had met at the intersection of national history.
Nearly sixty-two years later, that small-town couple’s love story continues to be its version of Camelot.
John K., a resident in our Assisted Living community, hums, stops to visit friends both new and old, participates in physical therapy, and attends daily rosaries and weekly Masses. His face lights up, and he flashes his trademark dimpled grin when his still-youthful wife Ginny K. (née S.) arrives. The two remain steadfast in their devotion as they navigate life’s changes.
Sitting in his room, they laugh and tease as they share stories.
Delivered in the doctor’s office here in Ottawa, Ohio, John K. was born one of five children to Edwin and Emma K. He remembers his beloved mother as a great cook who was “very intelligent” and “highly educated,” having completed high school as well as studied under a local professor.
His hard-working father owned his own appliance business in town. John never experienced a traditional childhood, as he began helping with repair work at a very young age.
At Saints Peter and Paul Elementary, the Previous Blood nuns were exceedingly strict with the boy who aspired to be a “wire twister” -and who didn’t always see the need for Latin and other advanced courses. More than once, though, their young ward was pulled from class to fix a broken garbage disposal or examine a “crackle and spark” from a faulty switch.
After graduating from St. Peter and Paul High School, John worked in construction, helping to lay 1-75 from Lima to Findlay, building forms for bridges, and ultimately falling in love with a girl from Columbus Grove. The two had known each other before, but a chance meeting at Hoyt’s Tavern was kismet. They were immediately drawn to each other’s kindness and wit.
Ginny was a nursing student awaiting her board certification. She worked at St. Rita’s in Lima, Ohio, as well as for a local Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor. Looking back, she had the dangerous job of transporting a lead-lined box filled with radioactive medical supplies. That box rode roughshod behind her passenger seat.
Through their courtship and engagement, they travelled to hear such bands as Jimmy Dorsey’s. They enjoyed eating out and found comfort in praying the rosary together. Ginny earned her certification, and John set his sights on building his own business. Each morning as John headed to his job, he’d give a sleeping Ginny several quick honks as he passed her parents’ house at 5 a.m.
Once married, they honeymooned in Washington, D.C., even though most of the city had been closed for the state funeral. Two nuns from nearby Falls Church, Virginia, offered to show them the sites. One was Ginny’s cousin; the other was her Mother Superior. John laughs when he recalls that the older nun had never driven a stick shift before, which meant many herky-jerky stops and starts. Their formal habits and air of authority luckily gained the group access to various locations. They were even able to see Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie as he paid his respects to our fallen president.
Upon their return, the couple lived in a small apartment above his father’s business. John built a repair business, and in less than three years, the couple welcomed three sons, two of whom were born during their stay there. John stored his supplies downstairs in his father’s shop and rented storage space at the nearby Dumont Hotel.
Ultimately, they moved out of their cramped space into a small rental house on the east end of town. On move-in day, they were surprised to find an alligator living in the bathtub! A third son was welcomed during their stay there.
They both recall always “being at the ready” to take odd jobs, even carting boxes to job sites to set their babies in. Husband and wife worked side by side.
Over time, John established a reputation for his exceptional skill, strong work ethic, and unwavering honesty. (Importantly, his sons and grandchildren carry that legacy forward today.)
Ultimately, the two purchased a house nearby, which they filled to the brim with memories and love. A fourth son joined the wonderful chaos. A big buckeye tree framed the home, and neighborhood children gathered there. Porch swings creaked and swayed as visitors dropped by.
The boys were within walking distance of SPPS and the church. Early on, they helped out, learning the trade at John’s knee. There were so many adventures!
Once, a very young son dove into his dad’s pickup when an inspector showed up at a job site.
Faith and family anchored their lives, and the couple made sure Sunday Mass was followed by gatherings with grandparents, and later by meals at restaurants. They are proud that new generations continue to practice the same cherished rituals. Both were active in the church; John was even successful in getting rosaries to the incarcerated.
Ginny loved to cook, reveled in her role of wife and mother, and “held down the fort.” As John labored to establish himself, he often worked from dawn to dusk.
“I made sure I got down on the floor and wrestled with those boys on the weekends. I worked so darn much that I worried they were missing out.”
Slowly but with help, passion, and ingenuity, John created his own electrical business. He and his employees wired everything from grain elevators to ships, and ultimately focused on large industrial jobs.
The challenge of wiring entire factories replaced small repair jobs. Even today, John needs only to close his eyes, and he envisions where every wire, switch, and outlet is located in the buildings he has helped wire.
Growing up, the boys spent a great deal of time at the shop. Once, one crawled up on a high shelf and fell fast asleep. When his brothers yelled for him to come down, John snapped, “Don’t bother him now. He’ll roll over and wake up on the concrete!”
Family vacations meant short trips away to places like Mohican State Park or day trips to attend a Cincinnati Reds ballgame. John, not much of a sports fan, gladly obliged, but spent his time looking upward, counting the hundreds of lights that circled the stadium.
During high school, the boys balanced school work, sports, and the family trade.
Once life had settled a bit, Ginny returned to nursing. Each night when she returned home, though, she’d quietly check on her sleeping boys.
The couple joined a dance club, volunteered, and participated in SPP marriage encounters, as well as the popular polka Masses and meals of the day.
One by one, the boys moved out and on. Some of them added degrees to their resumes, while others entered the trade directly.
For John and Ginny, these years were the most difficult to weather.
Their joy over a house teeming with life was replaced by sadness over the eerie quiet.
The couple began to travel for electrical co-op conventions, visiting states from Arizona to the Dakotas.
The boys all married wonderful women and gifted John and Ginny thirteen beloved grandchildren, all of whom have some connection to the family business. The family has now grown even more to include fourteen great-grandchildren. One of the newest generation comically refers to Grandpa John as “Ginny-John.” The family business continues to grow, nd has expanded into new branches.
Over six decades after their wedding, John and Ginny share a love that has only deepened with time. Losses, injuries, and illnesses have bound them together.
Through faith, sacrifice, hard work, and selfless love, John and Ginny K. have established a legacy that will be passed down to future generations.
Both are quick to share that they have been abundantly blessed. With faith and love, each embraces whatever lies ahead.
